The Assam cabinet has approved a special scheme under which arms licences will be granted to indigenous inhabitants residing in vulnerable and remote districts, including border areas along Bangladesh, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Wednesday.
The move, described as “sensitive and important” by Sarma, aims to address long-standing demands from local communities who feel a heightened sense of insecurity due to both internal tensions and cross-border threats.
“It’s a very important and sensitive decision. Indigenous people in these districts live in a sense of insecurity, especially after the developments in Bangladesh (where Hindus were targeted). They face the threat of attacks from the Bangladesh side and even in their own villages. In this backdrop, the cabinet decided that indigenous people in such vulnerable areas would be given arms licence,” the Chief Minister said.
The districts identified under the scheme include Dhubri, Nagaon, Morigaon, Barpeta, South Salmara and Goalpara. These regions, according to the Chief Minister, have a sizeable population of indigenous people who are now in a minority and are perceived to be at greater risk.
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Sarma stated that while the state government will issue licences, it will not subsidise or assist in the procurement of arms. “We see instances where they live in fear and since there is an ongoing process to detect and deport illegal Bangladeshis, indigenous people who are in a minority in these vulnerable areas, we took this decision. There was a long-standing demand by indigenous people in these areas. The government won’t help them buy arms, but will give them the licence to procure them,” he said.
Sarma also referred to the legacy of the Assam agitation (1979–85), noting that the demand for protective measures such as arms licences has existed since that time. “The demand for arms licences had been around since the Assam agitation against illegal immigrants, but previous governments had not taken such a step to address the concerns of indigenous inhabitants of the state,” he said.
The decision to issue arms licences will ultimately lie with the district authorities, he added.
The policy has, however, raised concerns and questions about whether it would also apply to other sensitive zones, particularly Assam’s inter-state borders with Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland — regions that have witnessed border tensions and disputes in recent years.
In response, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma clarified that the arms licence policy would not extend to these inter-state border regions, as the state does not view them as vulnerable in terms of national security. Instead, Assam continues to engage neighbouring states through dialogue and confidence-building measures.
"There have been some queries on whether the arms licence policy would apply to inter-state border areas shared with Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland. Let me clarify: Assam has consistently held that inter-state border issues must be resolved through mutual trust and understanding. We do not consider these regions vulnerable from a national security standpoint. Therefore, the arms licence policy will not be applicable to Assam’s inter-state border areas," maintained Sarma on X.
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